Reflashing Da Vinci 1.0A with Repetier

8/23/2015

I reached a point in my 3D printing experience where I couldn't put up with the limitations of the Da Vinci printers from XYZprinting. They are so busy trying to prevent people from using other third party filaments that they are now affecting customers who are already buying filament cartridges from XYZprinting. I have never used a resetter and prior to last month had never re-flashed a printer to open source Repetier firmware. It all came to a head when I got a message on my Da Vinci 1.0 that I was using an illegal cartridge (which it was not!) and the software shut down my machine. I had had enough. I reflashed my Da Vinci 1.0A that I bought on EBAY used, and have been printing with open source Repetier control ever since. And I love it.

XYZprinting, which promoted my channel on their Facebook page didn't like it and quit promoting me. After one full year of videos promoting their product and helping many of their customers get their machines working, they dropped me like a lead balloon.

I figured that was coming though but I was already upset with their lack of customer support and the way they kept releasing new printers but doing next to nothing to help those that bought prior or releasing new filaments. Plus even the filaments they released required a $100 updated extruder to print PLA (which they falsely advertised it could do). I made the mistake of updating my firmware as they recommended as that let them into my machine to control when they decided it should be shut down. Never again.

My plan now is to shop for a true open source printer and possibly re-flash my other two Da Vinci's or sell them. Re-flashing is easy because they use the Arduino bootloader. The firmware can be flashed as long as you can get a version for the Da Vinci and the open source community released that long ago.

What is really interesting to me is that the XYZprinting company is using a bootloader in the 1.0 and 1.0A that is compatible with the open source Arduino IDE. It implies they are using open source GPL code in a closed source product they sell. Seems a bit illegal to me but I'm no lawyer. It does give us Da Vinci owners a way out of the closed source control they have tried to place on us so they failed in their attempt to control us. Having said that, I would not buy a newer Da Vinci Jr or any of their future printers based on this and their existing practices of thinking they licensed you the printer rather than selling it to you to own.

So going forward, I cannot recommend their products and am looking for a more open source company to work with me and my YouTube Channel. If there is any open source 3D printing company that wants to work with me, please contact me at my contact page.

For my channel subscribers, it's just gonna get better and better as I expand what I do at my channel, so stay tuned for more.

11 Comments

8/25/2015 08:16:27 am

Hello Chuck - I'm just starting with 3D printing and after watching a few of your videos, I picked up a used Da Vinci 1.0 (turned out to a 1.0A) from eBay. Using non-updated firmware with the latest XYZPrinting slicer. I actually like the filament cartridge as it keeps the filament dry and clean. I know the filament costs more, but there are some benefits one could weigh against the cost and limited filament choices. Too bad XYZPrinting is going so far with the cartridge chip and causing problems - actually reaching in and shutting down the printer is inexcusable. As you move forward I hope you at least keep the Repetier'd Da Vinci. I just like seeing the same printer I have in the videos. I think a nice 3D printed "Repetier" plaque would look great on it as well. Keep the videos coming ......

brett

8/30/2015 12:20:10 am

chuck, after following your videos, and adjusting my 1.0a along with your suggestions on bed leveling, i too decided to reflash to repetier. i am however, having issues with settings. is there any way you could do a video showing the settings you use for slicing, and the general settings? any help would be amazing.

Nigel

10/2/2015 09:23:02 pm

I see that XYZ have announced the Da Vinci 1.0 Pro. A truly open source filament printer. I guess they answered some issues you had Chuck.

http://us.xyzprinting.com/us_en/Product/da-Vinci-1.0-Professional

Damn I just bought a Da Vinci 1.0 A , today from Amazon UK.

Chuck Hellebuyck link

10/3/2015 12:03:22 pm

Yeah, can't wait to see the details.
I also hope they release a firmware update to the 1.0 users so we can get the same open source help instead of fighting with the blocking software they currently make us run.

10/3/2015 09:40:57 pm

It would be my guess they will offer a firmware "PRO" upgrade for the 1.0, but at a price. The swap to Repetier was free (except for a donation) and with a little learning curve, it is working great. While the PRO sounds interesting - it is realy just eqivalent to a Repetier'd 1.0a,.and I would rather spend the money on filamant. (Well, OK the laser etch sounds interesting - if it is real - and, would you want to laser etch without proper fume extraction?)

Tom Hansen

10/11/2015 08:30:59 pm

Love the videos. My 1.0A was starting to shut off while heating the print bed so I thought it was a problem with the reset tool I had used on the cartridges, so I decided to switch to Repetier and see if that would fix the problem. I followed the instructions, used your settings, and when I go to print, the extruder just crashes into the print bed side and the belts all grind like gears going bad. Uh Oh! I decided to re-level the bed and during the heating of the bed, the darn machine shut down yet again....ugh.. I am lost and google does not come up with anyone else having this problem. Look for a junk daVinci 1.0A on ebay soon..... mine might be there.

10/12/2015 08:59:54 am

Extruder hitting the print bed is what happened when I switched to Repetier - adjusting the bed was the cure. The persistent shutdown failure while heating the bed would make me suspect a power supply problem. The heated bed draws the most power and it is full on while ramping the temp up. Ramping up both the bed and the extruder at the same time should cause the failure to happen quicker in the cycle (assuming it is the power supply). If you have the ability to monitor the power supply and see if it drops out at the time the failure occurs it would help in locating the problem. I did see some Internet post about a burned / cracked resistor causing intermittent loss of 12V, but the symptoms were different – at least you did not mention an error code. Anyway, if it were my printer I would start looking at the power supply. Just my free advise and worth every penny. And, I apologize to Chuck as the blog is probably not the best place for this.

LARRY

12/6/2015 05:31:02 pm

Do you see any reason why repetier will not work on Pro?
I picked one up and I guess I got spoiled using repetier on my old 1.0 Aio. The stock software is a bit challenging

chuck hellebuyck link

12/7/2015 07:16:32 am

Yes, there isn't a repetier firmware file for it.
XYZprinting is not open source so unless someoe reverse engineers the firmware, then I don't see this as possible.

Nigel Cook

12/6/2015 05:37:20 pm

I find the stock XYZ program and software good. Simplyfy3D even better. Yes you are dialled into XYZ's printer cartridges but I get great results. That is the most important, surely!

1/28/2020 05:02:24 pm

Chuck,just stumbled on you site,while looking for a way to solve a problem with my 1.0a printer.
I just put a new print bed on it,because mine melted in the middle of the bed.
I have been trying to level the bed and all I get is err err err ,the bed will not go high enough,for it to take measurements it stays about 3/8 of a inch down,and won't go up any farther.
I do not want to go on xyzs site because it SUCKS,I have had to try and log 3 4 times before I can get in.
I still have not received a answer as to what caused it,They tell me it is broke,like I didn't know that,I just wonder where they get these people,my 2 1/2 year old great grand daughter could have told me that.
Any way is there something I am missing here?
I did not have much of a problem printing,except in the middle of the print it would sag into the gorge in the middle of the bed.
Thanks
Ed

About Chuck

Chuck has been programming with PIC Microcontrollers since there were only five devices. Now there are over 700 and growing. He also has a lot of fun 3D printing designs using his Davinci 3D printer and TinkerCad software. In this series of blog posts and occasional videos on his YouTube Channel he tries to help you get started with electronics and 3D printing.

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